Category Archives: Lessons

by Michael Maciel Two weeks ago, I had a tooth pulled. As the dentist attempted to extract it, the crown broke off. It took her an entire hour to dig out the root. All the while, I’m contemplating what it … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel We have two models by which we can form our society, both of which are based on love — love as expressed within families and love as expressed between families. And since we’re talking about love, both … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel If sin is “missing the mark,” then we have to ask, what are we aiming at? You may have heard the adage, “I reached the top of the ladder of success only to discover that it was … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel I’m thinking that the opposite of being naive isn’t being smart, as though naivete is ignorance by definition, but rather, the opposite of being naive is to be cynical. However, both words have negative connotations, so we … Continue reading →

— by Michael Maciel The problem with being a future-oriented society is that when the future disappears, everything falls apart. Our horizons have been too broad and too far-flung. It’s time to bring them closer to home. Because when we … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel It seems to me that there are two things that drive meaning in our lives: love and purpose. In the presence of love, even loving one’s cat, pushes the need for meaning to the side, if only … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel   How much of our world is held together by our beliefs? I mean, held together in such a way that if our beliefs were disrupted, our whole world, including our sense of self, would fall apart. … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel One of the problems that I see with most discussions about consciousness is that they tend to analyze it in terms of content, not consciousness as such. Hofstadter, if I’m understanding him correctly, seems to want to … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel One of the reasons why we sometimes find it hard to connect with the consciousness of others is that we tend to think of it more in terms of content than as a thing in and of … Continue reading →

by Michael Maciel Bringing light into the world is a lot like house cleaning. It’s not enough to simply open the windows and air the place out. We have to actually clean up the mess, scrub the floors, and dust … Continue reading →